Lord of Prayer

Chapter 662: Chapter 420: The Key to the Final Holy Hall (2)

The Dean had expected this, so he wasn’t too surprised. He raised and lowered the Magic Staff in his hand. With a flash of light, they appeared before a magnificent, ornate house. The house was sealed by layer upon layer of Magic Arrays, and its surroundings were completely empty—a vast void. The only thing in this entire World was the house before them.

"This is the Void Space, used for banishment," the Dean explained, waving his Magic Staff to undo the seal.

Zhou Chen walked to the entrance and inserted the key into the iron door. A Magic Array lit up around the lock; this was the ward Shafali had set.

The key turned gently. CLICK. The ward shattered in response. With a loud WHIR, the iron door rose upward. The house, sealed for so long, finally had a visitor.

Zhou Chen stepped into the house. Numerous Magic Books were scattered and piled on the floor, and various Magic Materials were strewn about haphazardly. He scanned the room before heading straight for the bedroom.

The table was empty, save for a single letter.

He picked up the letter, and a message popped up.

——[Shafali’s Letter: The handwriting is somewhat sloppy.]

[Contents:]

[To whoever comes after, if you are reading this letter, it means I am already dead.]

[After researching the Desecration Emblem, my mental state has grown increasingly unstable.]

[I can feel myself sinking bit by bit into the Abyss, but I cannot stop. From this small Emblem, I have comprehended so much incredible knowledge. It is all so wondrously beautiful. Every new insight touches my Soul, bringing me a pleasure I have never known before.]

[I know it is a forbidden taboo, yet I violate it time and again. Even tying myself up cannot suppress the thirst for knowledge in my heart. The wild, beast-like frenzy I fall into fills me with Fear afterward.]

[I’m going mad. I must be going mad.]

[The ceiling is leaking, dark figures appear in the mirror, eyes open on the walls, my carefully tended plants have become indescribable masses of bloody flesh, and even the Magic Books I read now have an eye that occasionally appears within their pages...]

[My mind is on the verge of collapse.]

[But I have also gradually uncovered the true nature of the Desecration Emblems. They are keys! Keys that open the way to the Final Holy Hall!]

[There is a hidden compartment under my bed containing three Desecration Emblems. Take them.]

[I’m sorry, Dean. I can’t go back.]

’The Desecration Emblems are keys?’ Zhou Chen was startled by this. He immediately handed the letter to the Dean while he went to Shafali’s bedside, crouched down, and began to feel around. A moment later, with a soft KLAK, he pressed some kind of mechanism. A hidden compartment rose up, revealing a small box inside.

He opened it to find three Desecration Emblems lying quietly inside.

[Desecration Emblem x3]

Zhou Chen now had a total of five Desecration Emblems.

[Quest "The Errant Witch" Completed. +1000 EXP!]

[You have triggered the Main Quest — "The Desecration Emblems"]

[Quest Type: Collection]

[Quest Difficulty: Hard]

[Quest Description: You have learned from Shafali’s letter that the Desecration Emblems are the keys to the Final Holy Hall.]

[This could be the ravings of a madwoman, or it could be a crucial hint left by a tragic soul in her final moments of clarity.]

[Regardless, do your best to collect the Desecration Emblems and try to piece them together. You might make an unexpected discovery.]

[Quest Reward: 45,000 EXP]

’Another main quest, and with such a massive amount of EXP. No matter how you look at it, this has to be a crucial one.’

The Dean had finished reading the letter by now. He let out a soft sigh but said nothing. The successive tragic fates of two of his magical brethren had added an ineffable melancholy and sorrow to his sharp, wise eyes.

"The Magic Academy has one more Desecration Emblem in containment. I’ll take you to get it."

Given what had happened to Shafali, the Dean had issued a strict order forbidding anyone from ever touching the Desecration Emblems again. But Zhou Chen was different. As an outsider, he was almost completely immune to Gaia’s mental corruption. This was a privilege that came with being a "Player."

After leading Zhou Chen to retrieve the Desecration Emblem from a restricted chamber, the Dean said, "I must leave for a while to oversee the activation of the defensive arrays. You can wander around the academy for now. There are five other outsiders here; perhaps you know each other."

"Alright," Zhou Chen nodded. The Dean then used Teleportation Magic to send him into the main part of the academy.

VMMMM—

The scene shifted. The sound of car engines filled the air as cars and floating vehicles drove past on the streets and in the sky. Mages flew by on brooms or standing on robotic vacuum cleaners. Floating traffic lights hovered above every intersection, directing the smooth flow of traffic.

The surrounding architecture was predominantly classical Western in style, interspersed with many modern buildings. Numerous shops lined the streets, bustling with activity once more now that the crisis was over. Many people had taken to the streets, discussing the recent incident.

This was clearly a modern Magic City, full of fantasy charm yet not lacking in technology.

"Meow! It’s our great benefactor, meow!"

A delighted voice came from behind him. Zhou Chen turned to see the group of upright-walking Mage cats. They were of various breeds and a multitude of colors, though there were fewer of them than before. They had likely gone to help with the academy’s repairs.

"Meow, would our benefactor like to come to our little shop for a sumptuous deluxe meal? Not only is it delicious, but it can also provide you with an extra Attribute Value bonus, meow," said the white cat in the lead with a smile. "And it’s free, meow!"

"Then what are we waiting for!"

Zhou Chen waved his hand grandly. "Lead the way!"

The Cat-Cat Diner.

Zhou Chen had barely sat down when five figures walked into the diner.

"AHHHH!" a girl in a Magic Robe suddenly shrieked with excitement, pointing at Zhou Chen, her face flushing red. "It’s the Joyful Sawman!"

PFFFT! Zhou Chen, who had just been taking a sip of water, sprayed it everywhere. He coughed and sputtered violently. ’Getting called by my nickname so suddenly is still pretty embarrassing.’

"I’m your fan!" The girl in the Magic Robe rushed over, her eyes sparkling like stars. She took out a pen and paper from her Player Backpack and handed them to Zhou Chen. "Please, can I have your autograph?"

"Ah... hello... hello, everyone."

Zhou Chen took the pen and paper and signed an autograph for his fan.

[Wish Value +5!]

Afterward, he sized up these five Players whose spawn point had been the Magic Academy.

Three men and two women.

One was a tall, burly man with a red headband. He wore a tattered white fighting uniform, revealing a powerful physique. He had cosplayed himself as a famous character from a well-known fighting game.

Another man was dressed in a suit of exquisite Armor, with a Silver Sword and a Steel Sword strapped to his back. His hair was dyed white, and a wolf-head medallion hung on his chest. He had also cosplayed as a game character. He smiled at Zhou Chen and said:

"How about a round of Gwent?"

The last man was clad in a black bat costume. He exuded a grim, unapproachable aura, and his voice was low and gravelly.

"I am Batman!"

As for the other two female Players, one was the young fangirl in the Magic Robe, and the other was a tall woman in a suit of Light Armor, her hair tied in a ponytail, with a Great Tachi strapped to her back.

’Anyone who didn’t know better would think they were a group of cosplay enthusiasts who had just escaped from an anime convention.’

"We heard you took care of the boss outside. How did you do it? The five of us teamed up and couldn’t beat it... Oh, right, my name is Wang Xiaokun." The man with the red headband sat down next to Zhou Chen and asked curiously.

"Even if you were pro gamers in the real world with insane skills, in here you still have to rely on your actual Attributes. If your Level isn’t high enough, don’t try to force it—unless you’ve memorized its patterns down to a science," Zhou Chen said.

’These five probably haven’t even reached Level 5 yet. Fighting a Dark Stalker would just be feeding.’

’It’s not their fault, though. They spawned in the Magic Academy and were sealed inside from the start, with no way to grind monsters for levels.’

"We’re planning to fight our way to the Satellite City. Want to team up with us?" Wang Xiaokun extended an invitation.

Zhou Chen shook his head. "No, I have other objectives."

At the mention of the Satellite City, Zhou Chen couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, a trace of worry welling up.

’I wonder how Tang Ling is doing.’

’She wasn’t in a good state lately. I hope she’s alright.’